(Wallack) "The question is, can we be
doing something in terms of innovation out there in the world of innovation in
the health care delivery system that results in more downward pressure on
hospital budgets and on insurer rate increases."

(Kinzel)
It's estimated that roughly 25 percent of the increase of private health care
premiums is due to the underpayment for services by state and federal programs.
Wallack says it will take time to get these government programs to pay their fair
share of health care costs.

(Wallack) "That's going to be hard to
deal with because it would involve essentially shifting a lot of private
payments to the state budget. Probably not feasible to do that. But if we can
at least do no more harm that will be an achievement."

(Kinzel)
One group that's very concerned about the work of the Green Mountain Care Board
is the Vermont chapter of the National Federation of Independent
Businesses.

Shawn
Shouldice is the group's director.

(Shouldice) "NFIB would ask the Green
Mountain Care Board to strongly consider ensuring that there are choices for
employers to make, that they're not limited to one carrier. ... And, you know,
obviously we need to know what it's going to cost and how it's going to be paid
for. And the sooner we know that the better."

(Kinzel)
But Wallack says it's too early to make decisions about how to finance future
health care programs and she says maintaining the status quo is not acceptable.

(Wallack) "The alternative is total
certainty that health care costs are growing at an unsustainable rate. So the
uncertainty about how we're going to control health care costs, whether we're
going to be successful, and what we propose in terms of public financing, I
think, is far preferable to sitting around and doing nothing. We have to tackle
this problem."

(Kinzel)
The Shumlin administration is seeking a federal waiver to allow Vermont to implement a publicly financed system in 2014. But
the waiver is wrapped up in the congressional debate over the future of
President Obama's health care law.